PREFACE
With many discipleship workbooks
available today, why write another one? The reason is two-fold. First,
this workbook is not designed to cover the very basic topics always
taught to new converts. Topics such as; salvation, eternal security
of the believer, church attendance, baptism, and the Lord’s
Supper are not included in this workbook. These types of topics are
certainly needed and if learned and followed will aid the new believer.
What is often missing or not fully explained in discipleship workbooks
is how to successfully grow in relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the central focus of this workbook. How to grow in grace and
the knowledge of Jesus and become more like Him on a daily, monthly,
and yearly basis is missing in many Christian’s life. This is
what the author wishes most to convey to both the new believer and
the Christian that has been saved for thirty years and hasn’t
grown much. If this is your desire, to grow in your relationship with
the Lord Jesus Christ and become more like Jesus each day, then this
workbook is designed for you.
If you are the one who has been saved for thirty years and hasn’t
yet learned how to victoriously overcome sin, don’t get discouraged.
Take time to study this manual and practice what it teaches. This
author spent many years in the same position and couldn’t find
the answer in the preaching heard or books read. What was preached
or read never seemed to fully answer the question. Nevertheless God
has been gracious and many hours of agonizing over the Word of God
and begging God for the answers have resulted in the information in
this workbook. Please understand a very simple principle. If you wish
to gain the most from studying this workbook, you MUST do ALL of the
exercises and read ALL of the passages of Scripture. This simple principle
is often expressed as nothing ventured – nothing gained, or
you get out of it what you put into it. As you make your way through
the workbook, even though the author doesn’t know you, the author
will be praying daily for you by praying over those using the workbook.
What you or the author cannot do together, God will enable you to
accomplish.
Finally, here are some suggestions as to how to use the workbook and
get the most out of it. Read through the lesson material, not once,
but several times. After reading it prayerfully asking God to help
you understand, then fill out the worksheet that follows immediately
after each lesson. The answers to the worksheet are found in the text
of the lesson. Often the sentences in the worksheet are the same as
those in the lesson. If you cannot find the answer to one of the blanks,
there are completed worksheets in the back of the workbook. Then after
filling out the worksheet, review what you learned in the lesson throughout
the week while completing the daily assignment. Each lesson ends in
a list of passages of Scripture to be read one per day with questions
to answer concerning each. It is the intention of the workbook design
for this weekly assignment to be private. If more than one individual
is sharing a workbook, such as a husband and wife, it would be best
if the weekly assignments were photocopied so that each can keep their
answers private.
There is one final note that must be mentioned. This study is in no
way an all inclusive study on what a Christian needs to know to grow
in Christ. The bottom line is that the Christian needs all of the
Word of God to grow. Therefore, it is to be understood that the lessons
found in this workbook are those lessons that the author has found
the most useful in his own life. Hopefully they will be as useful
in your life as they were in his. May God richly bless you as you
learn and grow in Him. No greater joy can be had in the Christian
life than to live a life in close fellowship with the Savior. God
bless!
